Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Latvia
Latvia: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 11.85 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Latvia, 1998–2024
Source: Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.
Analysis
Latvia recorded 11.85 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024.
The figure is down 4.2% on the previous year and down 30.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Latvia peaked at 19.86 micrograms per cubic meter in 2007 and was at its lowest, 11.51 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2022.
Latvia ranks 118th of 240 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Latvia, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 19.13 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 19.43 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 16.73 micrograms per cubic meter | -13.9% |
| 2001 | 16.97 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 19.11 micrograms per cubic meter | +12.6% |
| 2003 | 17.44 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.7% |
| 2004 | 15.84 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.2% |
| 2005 | 15.84 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 18.1 micrograms per cubic meter | +14.3% |
| 2007 | 19.86 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.7% |
| 2008 | 19.18 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.4% |
| 2009 | 17.83 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.0% |
| 2010 | 19.67 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.3% |
| 2011 | 15.84 micrograms per cubic meter | -19.5% |
| 2012 | 16.61 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.9% |
| 2013 | 15.61 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.0% |
| 2014 | 17.06 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.3% |
| 2015 | 14.39 micrograms per cubic meter | -15.7% |
| 2016 | 12.74 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.5% |
| 2017 | 12.5 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 14.79 micrograms per cubic meter | +18.3% |
| 2019 | 12.73 micrograms per cubic meter | -13.9% |
| 2020 | 11.83 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.1% |
| 2021 | 13.29 micrograms per cubic meter | +12.3% |
| 2022 | 11.51 micrograms per cubic meter | -13.4% |
| 2023 | 12.37 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.5% |
| 2024 | 11.85 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.2% |
Latvia compared with similar countries
- Latvia's 11.85 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.08 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.5× the median. (83 countries reporting)
- Latvia's 11.85 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.25 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.1× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.13 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.43 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 17.69 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.84 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.86 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.19 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.5 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.67 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.17 micrograms per cubic meter | 11.51 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.29 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Latvia
- 115 Slovakia 12.04 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 116 Venezuela 11.93 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 117 Hungary 11.92 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 119 Ukraine 11.82 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 120 Tunisia 11.61 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 121 Belarus 11.58 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Latvia
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.883 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.56 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.4753 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.0183 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual -0.0555 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in Latvia?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Latvia was 11.85 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024, according to Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Latvia?
- The highest recorded value was 19.86 micrograms per cubic meter in 2007.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Latvia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.51 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.
- How does Latvia rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Latvia ranks 118th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Latvia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latvia data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Exposure to air pollution from human sources. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual population-weighted average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air, measured in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, which can pose significant health risks. This data excludes natural sources of PM2.5, such as dust and sea salt, to focus on human-caused pollution.